Easter

The Christian Paschal festival took its name from the Hebrew word "Pesach", meaning "Passover".  Our word "Easter" comes from the Old English word "eastre" which was a pagan festival held at this time of year in honour of the goddess of dawn.  When Christianity came to this part of the world, it was natural for the two festivals (both happening at roughly the same time), to be joined.  Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs from March 21st onwards.  Easter Sunday cannot be earlier than March 22nd, or later than April 25th.

There is an old story that the sun danced on Easter Day.  It is mentioned in a poem about a bride by Sir John Suckling:

"But oh, she dances such a way

No sun upon an Easter day

Is half so fine a sight."

This reminds me of the old country legend that farm animals used to bow down on their knees at midnight on Christmas Eve.  It is the subject of a great poem by Thomas Hardy which ends:

"I should go with him in the gloom

Hoping it might be so."

Happy holiday!